The Nissan Qashqai has taken the crown as the UK’s best-selling car of 2022.

The popular crossover amassed 42,704 sales during the year, becoming the first British-built UK best-seller since 1998 in the process.

Figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have revealed the Sunderland-built Qashqai to have topped the charts for the 12-month period overall, with 3,506 examples delivered in December alone.

To commemorate the achievement, Nissan has created a special gold-wrapped Qashqai designed to honour ‘the 7,000 Nissan employees from around the UK that have contributed to its success’.

Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor GB, said: ‘‘This is a landmark moment for a landmark car and it’s great to see how the latest generation Qashqai has struck a chord with car buyers here in the UK.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to see this car’s increasing success over the last 16 years, and it’s a fitting tribute to the skills and talents of Nissan’s excellent design, engineering, production and sales teams all around the UK.”

Often regarded as the car which kicked off the crossover boom, the Qashqai was first launched in 2007 and, since then, has covered three generations. Despite being a regular fixture in the monthly lists of best-sellers, this is the first time that it has come out on top for the 12-month period as a whole.

More than a third of UK drivers want the government to scrap smart motorways in 2023, a new survey has revealed.

What Car? Spoke to 1,698 motorists on what policy priorities should be for the Government and local authorities in 2023.

More than a third – 37.3 per cent – said that smart motorways should be scrapped, contrasting the 3.6 per cent who would rather see the projects completed as planned.

However, the biggest priority for 2023 was seen to be fixing potholes – with 58.9 per cent of those questioned choosing this option.

A previous study by What Car? found that local authorities across Britain paid out more than £12 million in compensation to motorists who had their cars damaged by poor road surfaces and potholes between 2018 and 2021.

Some 40.8 per cent of respondents also stated that they wanted the country’s EV charging infrastructure improved.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “Smart motorways have a long way to go in convincing many drivers, with our research highlighting just how negative the public mood is towards the technology.

“The other priorities from drivers reflect the driving reality of today. Poor road surfaces and a lack of charging infrastructure for electric drivers, as well as continuing question marks on how things like Fuel Duty will be replaced in the future, should all be at the top of the checklist for policy makers.”

A quarter of those questioned also wanted clarification on how fuel duty will be replaced as more buyers opt for battery-powered vehicles.

Pro driver Ken Block has died aged 55 following a snowmobile accident, his team has confirmed.

Hoonicorn Racing said in a statement posted to Instagram today (Jan 3): “It’s with our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today

“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed.”

The accident took place in Utah’s Wasatch County, with the Sheriff’s Office stating that Block ‘was riding a snowmobile on a steep slope when the snowmobile upended, landing on top of him’.

‘He was pronounced deceased at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident’.

The Sheriff’s Office also states that Block was riding as part of a group but ‘was alone when the accident occurred’.

Block became famous for his various successes behind the wheel, including during the longstanding Gymkhana series of internet videos, which saw him piloting a number of high-powered and upgraded cars around inner-city challenges with jumps, slides and hairpins.

He was also the co-founder of footwear company DC Shoes.

Tributes have been flooding in since the announcement, with former Top Gear presenter James May thanking Block for ‘some hilarious days out’ and CEO of Ford Jim Farley calling the rally star ‘an innovator, a talented driver and a marketing genius’.

Drivers over the age of 50 are enduring significant increases in car insurance premiums, new figures have shown.

Data released by Comparethemarket shows that the average premium for a driver aged between 50 and 64 was £320 in November 2022 – a £45 increase on the same month in 2021.

The average insurance premium for drivers aged between 65 and 80 has also increased, rising by £39 year-on-year to £274. There’s an even steeper rise for motorists aged over 80, too, with premiums increasing by £66 to £435.

Though insurance premiums have increased for all age groups, insurance costs for the over 50s are rising faster than the national average. A separate study by Comparethemarket found that drivers aged over 55 are also more likely to stick with their current insurance providers rather than shop around for a new deal. However, doing so could save £328 on average.

Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Comparethemarket, said: “Drivers will be concerned that the cost of car insurance is rising, especially when household finances are already being strained. Our research shows the average motor premium has increased by 14 per cent year-on-year. However, the cost of car insurance is rising faster for drivers over 50.

“This could mean that these motorists end up paying much more than they need to for car insurance, as they are also less likely to switch insurers. Our figures show loyalty doesn’t pay. By shopping around, drivers could save hundreds of pounds when their policy ends. We encourage everyone now, more than ever, to check if they could save by switching.”

The overall average premium has risen by 14 per cent year-on-year to £629 in November 2022, representing a £76 increase on the same month last year. This increase is attributed to rising values for second hand cars and increased vehicle repair costs.

A classic Porsche 911 Targa that was extensively restored by Porsche Classic has fetched close to £950,000 at auction.

The 1972 911 S 2.4 Targa was reimagined to celebrate 50 years of Porsche Design and was finished in the same colours as the Chronograph I watch that was designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1972.

The restored 911 is painted in solid black with anodized Fuchs wheels. The exterior is highlighted by silver, satin-finish lateral stripes and classic Porsche Design lettering on the flanks. The Targa roll bar is painted in the same satin colour, too, which is slightly different to the brushed stainless steel you’d find on a classic version.

Inside, most of the elements are black, though a chequered Sport-Tex material combines black and grey shades in areas such as the door trims, the centre parts of the seats and the lower area of the dashboard.

Ulrike Lutz, director of Porsche Classic, said: “Our vision was to build a historic counterpart for the new 911 Porsche Design 50th Anniversary Edition special model.

“The new Sonderwunsch program gave us an opportunity to implement this idea for a unique vehicle pairing. The year of manufacture was the only specific requirement for the donor vehicle on this occasion. The designers and members of the factory restoration team were tasked with carefully transferring the specification from the new car to the classic.”

The base vehicle – a 911 T 2.4 Targa from 1972 – was said to be in ‘poor condition’, according to auction house RM Sotheby’s, with specialists then upgrading every aspect of the vehicle to create this one-of-a-kind model. It was also accompanied by a specially made watch, created specifically for the auction.

When the hammer finally fell at the auction in New York, the 911 had fetched $1,149,000, or around £942,892.

The areas of the UK with the highest number of disqualified drivers in 2021 have been revealed.

In total, there were a total of 135,242 motorists handed driving bans during the year, with Yorkshire and the Humber featuring the highest number of banned drivers at 18,675.

This was followed by north-west England with 18,511 and London with 18,468. South east England took fourth place with 16,244 banned drivers, while the West Midlands finished up the top five with 12,703.

The information, which was revealed through a Freedom of Information request submitted by Bill Plant Driving School, also found that 11,370 drivers had been banned from driving in the east of England during 2021.

Other areas with a high amount of banned drivers also included the north east of England with 4,309 banned drivers and south east Wales, with 4,257.

Over the course of 2021, it was south west Scotland which recorded the lowest number of disqualified drivers in the UK, however, at just 206.

The most common driving offence that lead to a driving ban was having more than 12 penalty points,, for which 45,632 drivers lost their licence for.

The next most-common reason for a ban was driving with an alcohol level above the legal limit with 34,969 drivers banned for this. Driving or attempting to drive with a drug level above the specified limit followed next, while driving after being disqualified by order of court came after.

A Ford Capri 280 Brooklands that was discovered in a garage with just 2,960 miles on the clock has fetched close to £40,000 at auction.

Registered new by Soans of Leamington Spa, the Capri is finished in desirable Brooklands Green with a ‘Raven’ leather interior. Sold by Classic Car Auctions at its Christmas sale at the weekend, the Brooklands is said to feature an interior which is in ‘time warp condition’ and that with a ‘bit of elbow grease it can be returned to showroom condition. At the fall of the hammer, the Capri had achieved a final price of £39,938.

The Christmas Sale also included a number of other standout listings. A 1978 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster with 37,080 miles on the clock went for £81,000, while a 1971 Datsun 240Z ‘Works Rally’ replica achieved a final price of £32,063.

This latter car, originally imported from California, was a particularly stand-out sale due to its full rally preparation which allowed it to take part in the London to Cape Town Rally.

Many other cars passed well beyond their initial estimates. A 1975 AC Cobra Replica, for example, was estimated to achieve between £18,000 and £22,000, but had reached £27,255 by the time the hammer fell. A 2007 Mercedes CLK 63 AMG Cabriolet, meanwhile, came with an estimate of £16,000 but smashed this to reach £30,375.

Classic Car Auctions is now inviting entries for their 2023 sales, which will kick off at the Practical Classics Classic and Restoration Show at the NEC in Birmingham on March 24-26.

The UK is currently experiencing a big fall in temperatures, with forecasters predicting a lot of snow and ice for many of the country’s regions. As well as making everyone feel a little chillier, cold weather can have a big impact on a car, too.

But what happens to your car when the weather gets colder and is there anything you can do to help? Let’s find out.

Battery

Your battery is what sparks life into an engine. During warmer temperatures, it isn’t put under that much strain and getting an engine going doesn’t require too much work from the battery.

However, when the temperature falls, your battery is required to use more energy to get an engine started. If there’s not the right amount of energy in reserve, your car may struggle to start or not get going at all. If you’ve noticed that it’s having trouble starting, then a real fall in temperature could push it over the edge and cause it to fail – so you’d be best replacing it to ensure that it starts at the turn of the key.

Spark plugs

Spark plugs are what kickstarts the combustion process of a petrol-powered car and, like so many other electrical-related components, they can quickly fail in colder weather. This is more likely the case for older spark plugs.

If you notice that your car is feeling down on power or sluggish, then it may mean that a spark plug has failed. You’ll need to get it checked out by a professional and replaced if needed.

Windscreen issues

Sub-zero temperatures can cause some issues for windscreens, too. If you’ve got a small chip in the screen – perhaps caused by a stone during summertime – then a fall in temperature can quickly transform this into a larger and more dangerous crack.

If this happens, you’ll most likely have to have the windscreen replaced. However, if you’ve still got a chip, then this can be professionally repaired, which will help reduce the chances of it worsening.

Tyre pressures

Your tyre pressures can also be affected by a fall in temperatures. Even a small drop can affect them, changing how they perform and reducing their effectiveness.

It’s why giving your tyres a quick check after a cold snap can prove so useful. You’ll be able to find your car’s recommended pressures in the vehicle handbook or sometimes behind the fuel filler door. Inflate them to the correct pressures and you’ll know that your tyres are working as effectively as possible.

Fluids thicken up

Your car relies on all manner of fluids to work effectively. During colder weather, their viscosity can change, making them thicker and less able to work as they should.

However, there’s a really easy remedy to this. Simply allow your car to warm up properly before driving away as this will allow the fluids to heat and move around the system correctly. Always remember to stay with your car when you’re doing this – don’t be tempted to start it and go back inside the house.

Electric cars

Just as a petrol car’s battery is put under extra pressure in cold weather, the same goes for a fully electric car. Batteries use a chemical reaction to take on and release energy and during cold weather this process is slowed down. It’s why electric cars aren’t able to offer their best-possible range during winter. You could see around a 20 per cent decrease in range, though the latest EVs will see this fall to around 10 per cent of the claimed range.

You can help by using an EV’s pre-warm function – if it has been fitted with it – which can help to bring the battery up to its correct temperature and, in the process, help it deliver more range.